Natural Disasters

There are so many disasters that happen around us, it is constantly on the news and we thought we would use this to inspire some art work. The most popular disaster is a volcano, especially since Mt Tongariro has been so active lately. Artists used paper pulp to create texture and shape to create dynamic works. Some students have chosen to focus on bushfires. Also in process are some tsunami.

Artist: Vincent

Artist: Kezia

Artist: Gail

Artist: Emma

Artist: Christie

Artist: Bridie

Tutti Fruity Collage

Artist: Chris

To start the year we have decided to begin with colorful still life collages. We have chosen fruit bowls as a theme. It has been fun to create fruit that have been cut in half so we can see their internal details. Some fruits look so plain on the outside but are full of detail inside. We also created our own wallpaper design for the background. Big congratulations to our new artists - Ghadah, Spencer and Rebecca who are new exhibitors here on our blog.

Artist: Ghadah

Artist: Devendra

Artist: Kezia

Artist: Gail

Artist: Jan H

Artist: Nicole

Artist: Emma

Artist: Rebecca

While the theme for most artists was a fruit bowl, Spencer decided he'd rather create a cake stand full of delicious and decadent cakes! So here is your dessert after eating through photos of our healthy fruit bowls.

Artist: Spencer

Our Solar System

This year we have been very lucky to have Louise come and volunteer in the art room for a month. Louise came up with an idea to make our own imaginary planets. We had to think hard about what we wanted our planets to be like and what we would like on them. Things to consider were types of environment - temperature, landscape, planets, animals, cities, humans, buildings, water and communication. We completed our own fantastical solar system with a huge variety of planets.

Vincent - can you see the rivers?

Carolyn - Can you see the satellite tower

Helen - Can you spot the wind?

Gail - Can you find the cat city?

Charlotte and Janice - Can you see the flames?

Rachel - Can you spot the giant spiders?

Gail - Can you find the bird city?

Felicia - Do you spy the wild apple trees?

Brent - Can you see the ocean?

Self-portraits with a twist

 This month we have started a new project, so amongst the flamingos and map making there are new things emerging. Each artist is painting a self-portrait as realistically as they possibly can, the twist is the decorative antlers, horns and headgear that are added to the portrait. We have taken a small sample of different animal antlers and horns to use. Each artist chooses a design and uses paint, buttons and wool to personalise their headgear before it is added to their portrait. Antlers in the wild are only for males but both male and female artists are using this technique. The antlers are a way of each artist expressing something about themselves that is not visible to others by just looking at them. They have become an expression of our inner selves on our outer body in this case. Here are some of our self-portraits.

Christie

Devendra

Vicki

Carolyn

Andrea

Mapping landscapes

This week David started a new project called Mapping Landscapes. We imagined a landscape and looking down onto it from a birds eye view. David marked out where the land and the sea would be. David has added other features to his landscape like a crazy cityscape, maps, a boat and a plane. The final step was to imagine that the map was very old. We added layers of old wallpaper and shellac to age the collage. A fun quick project.

Flamingo Sculptures

This month we have been studying Flamingo's and creating sculptures of these amazing birds out of paper mache. Each artist creates the body of the bird out of scrunched up paper and tape which then covered in layers of paper mache. The neck is created in the same way and then joined together before the birds are painted and covered in feathers. We are taking an artistic license with our flamingos - you will notice they are a variety of colors!

The Neon Ladies out for the night

Artists from the left: Felicia, Carolyn, Devendra and Janice

David's Flamingo is the first completed sculpture and is proudly hanging up in the art room. David loves the color blue so it's easy to understand how his flamingo is this gorgeous cobalt color.

Kezia has almost completed her flamingo in this beautiful bright pink. The final touch will be to add the eye details on. The legs of the flamingo are made from bamboo.

Bridie's completed flamingo went for an adventure in the garden. Doesn't he look at home!

Sumptuous palaces from the East